Certain solid materials manifest desirable electrical or magnetic properties when thin samples, of thicknesses from one micrometer (microns or .mu.m) to ten millimeters (mm), are prepared and used. One problem with some of these materials is that their preparation is not straightforward, but requires slow and costly techniques and often produces such materials in very small volume. The invention described and claimed herein provides relatively inexpensive method and apparatus for preparing these materials in reasonable volume.